Construction of roads and paths



June 8 1926.

J. E. SPAGNOLETTI ET AL CONSTRUCTIO, 0F ROADS AND PATHS Filed July 14. 1921 2 sheets5hi 1 n.. any D pan 6MP/uns n J. E. SPAGNOLETTI ET AL June 8,1926. 1,588,151

cpNsTRucTIoN oF ROADS AND PATHs Filed July 111.", 1921 2 sheets-sneer 2 rrl .Ina/enna.-

- JamesE'nespqgnoZei zy I Patented J une 8,1926.

UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE. N

JAMES ERNEST srAGNOLi-:TTI AND ALFRED STUART GRUNsPAN, or LONDON,

ENGLAND. Q- .y ,i

CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS AND PATHS.

Appiicatibn inea :any 14, 1921, serial No. 484,712, airain Great Britain :any 27, i920. f

This vinvention relates to improvements in concrete or reinforced concrete foundations for roads and paths, the foundations being of the kind that is composed 0f a lnumber of separate pre-cast concrete blocks` which are laid side by side on a suitably prepared bedk and .on which is spread the material constituting theroad surface. It consists iny improvements as hereinafter described and claimed.

Hitherto it hasbeen customary in such foundations lto .employ concrete blocks having a configuration thatis square or rectangular in plan, but according toone of the improvements comprisedin the invention, the juxtaposed blocks are mainly of f `a substantial extent, by blocks that are more or less of av conc-avely-sided square or half square in shape, and are of such a size that comparatively small interspaces or' crevices Vare' left between their sides and the said .circumferential sides, into which interspaces or crevices the material of the road surface may be worked. Alternatively, the spaces between the blocks may be filled with concrete cast in situ.

- For the purpose of keying the blocks together when laid on the prepared bed, recesses or passages are provided at the edges of the blocks into which dowel pins or equivalent devices of metal, concrete, or other suitable material are securely fitted in a manner to engage or key adjacent blocks together.'

The keying may, however, be effected by means of metal connecting bars or wire passing through passages extending diametrically or in an equivalent manner, through the blocks, or along recesses or grooves formed around the peripheral edges ofthe blocks.

Alternatively, the blocks may be connected together by means ofvmetal rings fitting into grooves provided On the upper surfaces of ladjacent blocks, lthe rings being secured in the grooves by means of cement g-rout,` asphalted vmacadam or other suitable substance. f The blocks more downwardly extendingholesor cavities into which suitable devices can bere'- movalolyl inserted forkattachment to lifting may be provided with 'oneor i n tackle or appliances. These holes, after the blocks are in position in the foundation, can be filled, with tar-.macadam or other suitable plulgs.- LvThe top vand bottoni surfacesof the blocks ywould'usually beflat.y but in cases where the'material on whichthe blocks rest, e' i or which they support, is of a light character vor lwhere it, may be otherwise desirable, either of the surfaces maybe concave or convex. r

over the blocks andr if V'necessary consolidated in any customary manner.

When a suitable area ofthe blockshas VThe invention will'fbe further described with reference `to the accompanying drawing. in which Y Fig. ll is a plan of a portion ofl a road foundation constructed according to the in- .y

vention, the main'k foundation blocks being mainly' circular.

Fig. 2 is a section on the lineA-Anin Figi.

Fig. 3 is afragmentary plan showing an alternative way `(if-connecting the mainl blocks together, and A Figa is asect'on on B B in Fig. 3.

` Fig. 5 is a fragmentary kplan showing a -.further .modified method `of connecting blocks 'together'.

Fig. l of the-drawing of a pathway c and of a roadway foundation consisting of pre-cast circular main blocks illustrates aportion i ou l a provided with' substantially ycylindrical unencunibered peripheries to facilitate rolling and secondary blocks o and o', the 'main blocks being in contact one with another. The blocks L are provided with central holes cl for the reception of parts of suitable lifting or transporting appliances. `The` secondary blocks havealso centralholes Z for a like purpose.l f

The blocks a may be reinforced each in its upper vand ylower portions by means of a number of bars or rods, or in any other suitable manner. Upper reinforcing bars or rods are denoted by g, and lower reinforcements by z. The blocks a; are connected together by dowel pins f located in holes or recesses e formed in the 'marginal portions of the blocks. The holes e may be as shown in Fig. l, inclined so that adjacent blocks can be readily disconnected at any time, whenrequired, by driving theJ pins downwardly out of the holes e into the bed z' (Fig. 2) below the foundation blocks.` .Alternately, the holes e may be arranged horizontally at a suitable distance below the top surface of the blocks.

The secondary blocks 2) adjoining the pathways or along the sides of the roadway, would be half the size of the secondary vblocks b. The secondary blocks b and vmay be pinned tothe main blocks bymeans 0f pins j. j

In the modified arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and l the main blocks t which are circular in plan are connected together by means of cement briquettes or other dowels y' arranged in recesses lo formed on the upper peripheral portions of the blocks. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 concrete blocks are provided havingtheir abutting portions connected or interlocked by means of rings m disposed in grooves n and it will be obvious that each of said rings will interlock with four blocks, these blocks being rectangular in shape rather than circular. n

The reinforced concrete main blocks, and also the secondary blocks, can be cast or manufactured in any suitable known manner and at any convenient place and be brought to the site where theyare to form a foundation. They would be carefully arranged side by side on a prepared bed or formation, and be keyed together as eX- plained above.

'Having thus fully described the nature of our said invention and the best means we know for carrying the same into practical effect, we claim l. A concrete construction including juxtaposed sections and means to key adjacent portions of said sections together including oblique registering holes formed in the marginal portions of each section and opening into the upper face of one and the lower face of an adjacent section, and dowels removablyv arranged in said holes adapted to be driven through from one face to the other of said construction.

2. A concrete construction comprising rollable juxtaposed blocks, relatively small secondary blocks to conform to the interspaces of ysaid rollable blocks, and' Vinterlocking means including elements removable from thelower face only of one of said blocks or the upper face only of the adjacent block and arranged in the plane of the axes of juxtaposed blocks to lock said blocks together. j

3. A concrete construction comprising juxtaposed circular concrete blocks, secondary concrete blocks substantially conforming to the interspaces of said circular blocks and means to key adjacent portions of said kcircular and secondary blocks together including registering holes formed in the marginal portions of each section and accessible from the surface thereof and pins arranged in said holes. v.

4L. A concrete construction comprising juxtaposed reenforced concreteblocks and interlocking devices for said blocks including registering channels formed in the abutting marginal portions of said yblocks and Vdowels arranged in said channels.

5. A vconcrete construction comprising juxtaposed reenforced concrete blocks and interlocking devices for said blocks including registering inclined holes formed in the marginal portions of said blocks a-nd wires arranged in said holes.

6. A concrete construction comprising juxtaposed circular concrete blocks complemental blocks for filling the interspaces of said circular blocks and means including registering apertures in thev marginal portions of each block and pins interlocking with said apertures to key gether. Y

7. In a concrete road construction, a series of concrete sections provided with cylindrical peripheries to permit rolling of saidsections from place to place, and obliquely arranged interlocking means for the marginal portions of adjacent sections, said interlocking means being accessible from one face only of one of said adjoining sectionswhen said sections are assembled.

said blocks to- In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

JAMES ERNEST SPAGNOLETTI. ALFRED STUART GRUNSPAN.

Certicate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,588,151, granted June 8, 1926, upon the application of James Ernest Spagnoletti and Alfred Stuart Grunspan, of London, England, for an improvement in The Construction of Roads and Paths an error a ears in the printed specification re uiring correction as follows:

a PP (l Page 2, line 13, for the Word Alternately read Alternatively; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conforni to the record of the case in the Patent Oiiice.

Signed and sealed this 13th day of July, A. D. 1926.

[SEAL] M. J. MOORE,

Acting Uombm'ssz'oner of Patents. 

